Seeing should not be a luxury
September 5 is International Charity Day. For us, this is an opportunity to draw attention to an often overlooked issue: the lack of access to eyeglasses for millions of people worldwide.
After all, those who cannot see are left out—at school, at work, and in everyday life.
A global challenge with a simple solution
According to a 2019 WHO study, over 950 million people require eyeglasses. That number has now risen to over 1.1 billion.
While it is very easy to get affordable vision aids in dollar stores or drugstores here, the situation is different in some countries.
Provision fails in many countries due to a lack of infrastructure, high costs, appointments that are often far in the future, or health centers that are difficult to reach. As a result, the provision of glasses fails despite the obvious need.
How glasses can change lives
Darlia from Kenya was nine years old when she came to the eye camp with her grandmother.
Her eyesight was so poor that she couldn't see everything even when sitting in the front row at school. An eye test revealed that she had 15 percent visual acuity.
With her OneDollarGlasses, she can see “ correctly” and clearly for the first time in her life. Her first glimpse of her surroundings filled her with amazement – a touching moment for her and the entire team.
Stephen Jackson, a tinsmith from Malawi, used to find it difficult to carry out delicate work. After an eye test and receiving a pair of one-dollar glasses, many tasks have become easier, and he has returned to work with renewed confidence.
Darlia from Kenya was nine years old when she came to the eye camp with her grandmother.
Her eyesight was so poor that she couldn't see everything even when sitting in the front row at school. An eye test revealed that she had 15 percent visual acuity.
With her OneDollarGlasses, she can see “ correctly” and clearly for the first time in her life. Her first glimpse of her surroundings filled her with amazement – a touching moment for her and the entire team.
Stephen Jackson, a tinsmith from Malawi, used to find it difficult to carry out delicate work. After an eye test and receiving a pair of one-dollar glasses, many tasks have become easier, and he has returned to work with renewed confidence.
Darlia from Kenya was nine years old when she came to the eye camp with her grandmother.
Her eyesight was so poor that she couldn't see everything even when sitting in the front row at school. An eye test revealed that she had 15 percent visual acuity.
With her OneDollarGlasses, she can see “ correctly” and clearly for the first time in her life. Her first glimpse of her surroundings filled her with amazement – a touching moment for her and the entire team.
Stephen Jackson, a tinsmith from Malawi, used to find it difficult to carry out delicate work. After an eye test and receiving a pair of one-dollar glasses, many tasks have become easier, and he has returned to work with renewed confidence.
Our work: Projects and partners
In eleven program countries, we are committed to establishing sustainable local eye care services. We educate, train, create jobs, and build structures to ensure long-term, positive benefits for society.
Glasses in Brazil
Around 70 percent of cities lack medical personnel, but eye tests must be supervised by ophthalmologists. Our program partner Renovatio responded promptly to this problem: with a mobile eye clinic, even remote regions can now be reached. We have also made a big difference in São Paolo: 424,000 children were offered eye examinations in public schools and around 60,000 pairs of glasses were fitted.
Charity means sustainable change
Seeing should not be a luxury.
Help make good vision possible for everyone—every contribution counts.
